Clock-controlled switch gear



Feb. 28, 1950 J. w. ELLIS CLOCK CONTROLLED SWITCH GEAR 6 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 29, 1947 INV e NTo R w. 14m;

MMvwa 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. W- ELLIS CLOCK CONTROLLED SWITCH GEAR Feb. 28,1950 Filed May 29, 1947 Fb. 1 J. w. ELLIS 2,49 7

CLOCK CONTROLLED SWITCH GEAR Filed May 29, 1947 s sheetssheet s H/ 2 15g g 10 a s &9

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Feb. 28, 1950 J w, ELLls 2,499,270

CLOCK CONTROLLED SWITCH GEAR Filed May 29, 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 v LamJ. W. ELLIS CLOCK CONTROLLED SWITCH GEAR Feb. 28, 1950 6 Sheets-Sheet 6Filed May 29, 1947 Patented F eb. 28, 1950 CLO CK- CONTROLLED SWITCHGEAR John Wyndham Ellis, Cricklewood, London, England, assignor to S.Smith & Sons (England) Limited, Cricklewood, Lo

ish company ndon, England, a Brit- Application May 29, 1947, Serial No.751,480 In Great Britain June 6, 1946 6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to clock-controlled switch gear of the kindprovided with setting means, whereby the times at which the switch gearmay be opened and closed may be preselected, and is particularlyapplicable to clockcontrolled electric switches for automaticallystarting and stopping radio sets, thereby enabling a programme, selectedin advance, to be switched on at the appropriate time.

According to this invention, a clock-controlled switch gear of the kindreferred to is characterised in that the switch operating mechanismcomprisesan operating element driven by the clock, two control membersassociated with the operating element and adjustable eitherindependently or together relatively thereto, one controlling theclosing movement and the other the opening movement of the switch gear,which controlling members and operating element are arranged to impartquick opening and closing movements to the switch. This quick openingand closing movement is of particular importance in connection withswitch gear for radio sets, since it prevents any protracted cracklingnoises and sparking of contacts.

The aforesaid switch gear may either comprise two switches independentlyand respectively controlled by the two control members or the switchgear may comprise one set of contacts differentially operated by bothsaid controlling members.

The aforesaid driven operating member may comprise a rotatable cammember and said two control members comprise cam followers adjustablearound the cam member and bearing on different parts thereof, which camis so shaped as to effect rapid relative movement between it and saidfollowers at pre-selected times. Preferably, said-relative movements arearranged to be axial.

In one form of construction according to this invention, one of said camfollowers is fixed against axial movement and engages a cam track on oneside of an axially movable and rotatable cam, the opposite side of whichcam is provided with another cam track engageable by the other followerwhich is also axially movable, which cam member and latter follower areso connected to the switch gear that the movement of one closes theswitch and the subsequent movement of the other opens it.

The arrangement may be such that the first action of the cam results inboth it and the latter cam follower moving axially together, whereas thesecond action of the cam results only in said latter cam follower movingaxially,

which follower is connected through a lost-motion device to the switchgear so that its second part of movement only operates the switch.

In one form of construction, the aforesaid switch comprises twocontact-carrying blades spring-urged towards one another in the samedirection as said axial movement, one of which blades is engaged by anoperating member connected to said cam member so as to move axiallytherewith and the other of which blades is engaged through a lost-motiondevice by second operating member connected to the latter, i. e., secondnamed cam follower so as to move axially therewith but so as to bemovable both axially and rotationally relatively to the first saidoperating member and spring means urging said latter cam followeraxially against the cam member whereby after an initial rotationalmovement of the cam member both it and the first operating member andthe second cam follower are moved axially under the control of thespring means and of the first follower, and thus the first said controlblade is moved towards the other which remains stationary due to thelost-motion device, whereafter continued rotation of the cam membereventually results in the second cam follower being moved axiallythereby moving the second contact blade away from the first.

The aforesaid cam followers may either be arranged to be independentlyadjustable relatively to the cam member or may be coupled together so asto be adjustable together. In the latter case, they are so relativelydisposed that the switch remains closed always for the same timeirrespective of the time of opening. Such an arrangement is found to besuitable for a radio set where the switch may be arranged to remainclosed say, for a period of two hours.

The following is a more detailed description of two alternativeconstructions of a clock-controlled switch for a radio set, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawings, in which;

Figure l is a plan view of one form of clockcontrolled switch;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the arrangement shown in Figure 1;

Figures 3, 4 and 5 are sections on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 showingdifferent positions of the control device;

Figure 6 is a similar view to Figure l of an alternative arrangement;

Figure 7 is a side elevation of the arrangement shown in Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a section on the bent line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Rotatably mounted in an outer plate In of the clock frame is a bush IIwhich is fixed against axial movement. Fixed to this bush on the innerside of said plate is a setting disc [2, a friction washer l3 beingarranged between it and said plate. The setting disc [2 is provided withteeth 48 on its periphery which are engaged by a pinion 8 on ahand-operated adjusting spindle. The outer end of the bush is providedwith a shoulder l4 and a spring washer I5 is arranged .between saidshoulder and the plate so as to press the friction washer against thesetting disc. The outer end of the bush is provided'with acircumferential groove in which is secured an indicating disc it markedwith a 24-hour clock scale, the indicating disc being held frictionallyin said groove, so as to rotate with the setting disc 12. Extendingthrough said bush is a rotatable operating spindle H to which is fixed acam member I8 and a 24-hour wheel which is driven from al'Z-hourpinionfiofthe 12-hour motion wheel of the clock through an "intermediate pinion'5,

the minute pinion driving the aforesaid 24-hour wheel and the normal12-hour wheel of the clock mechanism. The cam member 58 comprises a"dis'chavingia rim portion 22 directed towards the may be arranged at acomparatively large angle in'relation'tothe first said face, thearrangement being such that'the aforesaidlug 23 on the setting disc l2may move rapidly into the notch after passing-beyond the first saidface. Encircling said spindle between said cam member and 24-hour wheelis a second setting disc 24 rigidly fixed to a bush and having a rimportion 25 of larger diameter than the rim of the cam member, which rimportion is connected to the first said setting di'scby alug 26 on thesetting disc which engages witha slot 2l inthe rim 250i the secondsetting disc,thereby preventing-relative rotational movement betweenthem butpermitting axial movement. A lug'28 is pressed out of the secondsetting disc 2:2 and bears on the inner face of the cam member l8, whichface is provided with a slot 29 or 'recess into which said lug may'enter"and'is so shapedthat the entry may be rapid. The lug 28 is arranged ata predetermined angular distance in advance of the lug 2% representingthe time during which the wireless is required to be r in operation. Thesecond setting disc is fixed to the bush 3'0 which is rotatable onsaidspindle 'and which extends inwardly from the setting disc. The forkedlimbs 3! of a blade spring loosely straddle the bush and bear against aWasher I32 disposed between them and the inner face of the secondsettingdisc 24 urging both it and the cam member [8 towards the firstsetting disc l2. Pivotally mounted on theplates 32 and 33 of the clockframe are two contactblades 3d and 35 so arranged that the lattercontacts with theend of the aforesaid spindle I l, whereas the former is'apertured so as to encircle a groove 85 in the aforesaid bush 3G fixedto the second setting disc 24. The pivot axes 31,38 of the 'two contactblades are arranged transversely to theaxis of the spindle andspacedapartin a direction parallel with said spindle. Theifree ends of thecontact blades are drawn together-Thy a helical tension spring 39. Theaforesaid groove-36 in thebush 30 on the second setting disc iszofgreater :width than he thickness of the contact blade, thereby armsbeing provided with contacts 40, M at their extreme ends. In thisposition the contact arm 34 engaging said bush 30 is located by a stop42 disposed on a frame member 32 of the clock between the two contactarms. When the notch l9 in'the cam member l8 comes opposite the lug 23on the first setting disc I2, the resulting axial movement of the cam I8is imparted to the spindle 11?, thereby causing the innermost contactarm 35, under the action of the tension spring 39, to bring its contactll into engagement with the contact '4!) on the other arm 34, as shownin Figure 1. At the same time the second setting discmoves axially underthe action of thespring :fork 3i, bringing theinner wall of the groove36 in the bush fixed to it into contact with the outerm'os'tbontact arm3 l. When the 1ug28 on the second setting disc 24 enters the recess-ofaperture in the cam member l8, further axial movement of the secondsetting disc 24 takes place underthe action of the spring fork 3 I,whereupon the inner Wall of the groove 36 of the bush 3!] moves theouter 'cont'actarm 34 with its contact all away from the other contactl-l, as shownin Figure 5. Continued rotation of the cam member ll? maygradually bring the parts into their "initial positions.

As in'the-construction described with reference to Figures 1 5, theindicating disc It bearing the indicating scale is fixed to'a part-whichmay be rotated around the operating shaft I "l by means of a settingdisc -or gear wheel 12 which has peripheral teeth engaged by the handoperated pinion 49. The gear wheel 20 'which is driven by theclock-mechanism is keycd'to the operating spindle H and the drivencam'member l 8-is also keyed "to this shaft -or spindle. The 24-hourmarkings are shown as cooperating'with-awindowdn the clock casing,indica'tedby-chain lines in Figures "1 and' 6. The margins'of'the windowmaycarry a 'lubber "line with reference to which the gradualtions on thedisc may be read.

A second 24-hour wheel -53 may -be "arranged to engage a twelve-hourwheel 6 driven by a pinion '5 of the clock and may be provided with a6150"54 having p. m. and a. m. indications viewable through "anotherwindow.

In the arrangementshownin Figures '6 to 8, the mechanism is similar, butinstead of the second settingdi-sc 24 being'provid'ed witha rim coupled"to the first setting disc I 2, it 'is provided with teeth 43onits'perimeter which are engaged by -a pinion i l. This p'inionis-adjustablyrotated by "a train of wheels 45 and "46, the latter *ofwhich I is provided with an adjusting spindl 41 whilethe former has aspindle tl to which 'is secured an indicating disc 52. Similarily, thefirst'setting disc i'2'is provided with teeth 4'B angagecl byzaipinioni'fl'on an adjusting spindle 56. By these means, the'length oftimedur'ing which the contactsit and 42 are closed maybe adjusted, theindicating disc 52 showing the time when the contacts are required to beopened.

.In either of th'e arrangements referred to above, instead of thecontact arms 34 and '35 being differentially controlled 'by the members[8 and 2G, Teach-of those members might be arranged independently tocontrol separate switches.

I claim:

1. A clock controlled switch gear comprising an axially movablerotatable cam member driven by the clock mechanism and having twocontrol cam tracks thereon, two cam followers rotatably adjustable aboutthe aXis of the cam member and arranged one on either side thereof, oneof which is fixed against axial movement and the other axially movable,two electric contacts movable towards and away from one another, meanstransmitting th axial movement of the rotatable direction to separatethe contacts and means transmitting the axial move- 2. A clockcontrolled switch gear comprising an axially movable rotatable cammember driven by the clock mechanism and having two control cam tracksthereon, two cam followers rotatably adjustable about the axis of thecam member and arranged one on either side thereof, one of which isfixed against the axial movement and the other axially movable, twoelectric contacts movable towards and away from one another, meanstransmitting the axial movement of the rotatable cam member in onedirection to one contact so as to move it away from the other contactand means transmitting axial movement it towards the first 3. A clockcontrolled switch gear comprising an axially movable spindle camfollowers rotatably spindle, one of which cam followers is fixed againstaxial movement and the other of which is axially movable, two electriccontacts movable towards one another, means transmittin the axialmovement of the rotatable cam member in one direction to one contact soas to move it away from the other contact and means transmitting axialmovement of said axially movable cam follower in one direction to theother said contact so as to move it towards the first said contact.

4. A clock controlled switch gear comprising an axially movable spindle,rotated by the clock mechanism, a cam member fixed to said spindle andhaving inner and outer cam tracks thereon, two cam followers mounted onsaid spindle one on either side of the cam member and rotatablyadjustable about said spindle, one of which cam followers is fixedagainst axial movement and the other of which is axially movable inrelation to said spindle, spring means engaging said latter cam followerand urging it towards the cam member and other cam follower, twoelectric contacts movable towards and away from one another, one ofwhich contacts is operated by axial movement of the spindle and theother by the axially movable cam follower.

5. A clock controlled switch gear comprising an axially movable spindlerotated by the clock mechanism, a cup shaped cam member fixed to saidspindle and having one cam track formed on its rim and another on thebottom wall, two rotatably adjustable disc-like cam followers mounted onsaid spindle so as to permit the spindle to roon the rim, while theother is provided with a hub portion axially slidable on the spindle andis provided with a projection which engages with the cam track on thebottom wall, one pivotally mounted contact blade is engaged by saidspindle and the other pivotally mounted contact blade by said hub, andspring means engaging the cam follower having the hub so as to move itand the cam towards the other cam follower.

6. A clock controlled switch gear comprising an axially movablerotatable cam member driven by the clock mechanism and having twocontrol cam tracks thereon, two interconnected cam followers rotatablyadjustable about the axis of the and arranged one on either sidethereof, which is fixed against axial movement and the other axiallymovable, two electric contacts movable towards and away from oneanother, means transmitting the axial movement of the rotatable cammember in one direction to separate the contacts, means transmitting theaxial movement of said cam follower in one direction to close thecontacts, a rotatable adjusting member operating said cam followers, andindicating means associated with said adjusting member.

JOHN WYNDHAM ELLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,920,664 Perrone Aug. 1, 19332,312,492 Schlenker Mar. 2, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date768,719 France Feb. 15, 1934

